Three male suspects were arraigned today on multiple drug charges following their arrests yesterday afternoon by Essex County sheriff’s detectives.
Sheriff Armando Fontoura stated that officers from his department’s Bureau of Narcotics staged a plainclothes surveillance operation in the area of Avon Avenue and 18th Street in Newark’s West Ward, a known drug trafficking location.
“Our BON detectives immediately observed three suspects, later identified as Robert Fuller, 25, Shaquan Johnson, 25, and Muhammad Hutson, 31, loitering in the area,” Sheriff Fontoura said. “Fuller and Hutson are from Newark and Johnson is from East Orange.”
A male passerby engaged Hutson in conversation and Hutson gave a hand signal to Fuller who reached into his pants pocket and exchanged an item for cash.
“When the passerby walked away, our detectives moved in to further investigate,” Fontoura added. “Fuller ran from the scene through an alleyway and over a few backyard fences. As he ran, Fuller discarded items from his pants pocket. He was quickly captured and the recovered items proved to be 23 vials of ‘crack’ cocaine and 33 heroin-filled envelops, stamped “HAWAIIAN PUNCH” in red ink. He was also found to be in possession of $156 in cash.”
Johnson was found to be in possession of an additional 45 decks of heroin and $197 while Hutson was found to be in possession of $305.
Fuller was charged with two counts each of possession of a controlled dangerous substance, possession of CDS with intent to distribute, possession of CDS with intent to distribute within 1000 feet of Madison Avenue School, and one count each of resisting arrest and conspiracy to violate New Jersey’s narcotics laws.
Johnson and Hutson were charged with possession of CDS, possession of CDS with intent to distribute possession of CDS with intent to distribute with 1000 feet of Madison Avenue School and conspiracy to violate New Jersey’s narcotics laws.
A canvas of the area for the passerby proved unsuccessful.
At today’s arraignments, all three suspects were ordered held at the county jail on a bail of $35,000 each.